Speaker
The Speaker of the Engineering Society is responsible for running all meetings of the Board of Directors and Engineering Society Council. Until 2011, the Speaker was an Internal Director, elected annually at the Joint Council Meeting. After the creation of the Board of Directors in 2011, the Speaker ceased to be an internal director and simply became an appointee of the Board of Directors. The term Chair of the Board was then used interchangeably with Speaker to refer to this position.
Role in Governance
Although never formalized in the Bylaws, tradition holds that the Speaker should follow the Westminster parliamentary tradition of being unbiased on all questions before the parliamentary body, and never speak in debate. 2011-2012 Speaker Rishi Maharaj broke with this tradition by regularly offering his opinion on matters of governance during and outside meetings of the Board. Through 2011-2012, efforts were made to model the Speaker's role more closely after that of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, that is, someone who leads and guides the direction of the Board while being independent of the Officers.
Engineering Society Bylaws
Bylaw 1 (Constitution)
3.6 Order
- 3.6.1 The Speaker of the the Board of Directors shall preside over General Meetings.
- 3.6.2 All General Meetings shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order where these rules of order do not conflict with the Bylaws of the Society.
- 3.6.3 The Speaker shall not hold more than one (1) vote at any General Meeting.
5.6 Meetings
- 5.6.1 The Board of Directors shall hold a meeting at least once a month during the academic year, at a time and place to be determined by the Speaker.
- 5.6.2 The President or Speaker may call a meeting of Board of Directors, and shall call a meeting within one (1) week of receiving a written request to call such a meeting signed by one half of the Board.
- 5.6.3 Any Member may attend, speak and move or second motions at meetings of the Board of Directors subject to the rules of order.
- 5.6.4 The Vice‐President Communications shall ensure that an agenda is circulated to all Board Members five days before any meeting of the Board.
- 5.6.5 All motions submitted by a Member to the Vice‐President Communications and the Speaker at least seven days of a meeting of the Board of Directors shall be included on that agenda, subject to the following restrictions:
- (a) The Speaker shall edit all motions for correct usage of the English language and clarity;University of Toronto Engineering Society
- (b) The Speaker shall have the authority to reject any motion that does not comply with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society or Robert's Rules of Order.
- 5.6.6 Unless its consideration is unanimously approved by the Board, no substantive motion shall be considered other than those on the agenda, or those to clarify motions on the agenda.
5.7 Special Meetings
- 5.7.1 The President or Speaker may call a Special Meeting of the Board of Directors, and shall call a meeting within one (1) week of receiving a written request to call such a meeting signed by one half of the Board.
- 5.7.2 Any petition to hold a Special Meeting shall specify the purpose of the Meeting, and no business shall be conducted at the Special Meeting unless it is related to the purpose for which the Meeting was called.
5.8 Notice of Meetings
- 5.8.1 Notice of meetings of the Board of Directors must be given electronically or in writing to every Member by the Vice‐President Communications at least five (5) days before the time chosen for such a meeting.
- 5.8.2 At the Speaker's discretion, a Special Meeting may be called with twenty‐four (24) hours notice provided the purpose of the meeting warrants immediate disposition.
5.10 Speaker
- 5.10.1 The Speaker shall ensure proper procedure during all meetings of the Board.
- 5.10.2 In the absence of the Speaker, the President shall act as Chair of the Board, except as determined by a majority vote of the Board.
- 5.10.3 The Speaker shall be selected by the Board of Directors at the first meeting of the new Board Members by a majority vote.
- 5.10.4 Nominations for the Speaker shall be held according to the Bylaw on Elections.
- 5.10.5 The Speaker shall be a non‐voting member of the Board of Directors.
- 5.10.6 The Speaker shall act as the Speaker for Council, where necessary.
- 5.10.7 The Speaker shall use the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, Robert's Rules of Order, and their own discretion, in that order, in determining all questions of procedure before them.
- 5.10.8 The Speaker shall have the authority to bar Board Members from voting on a question regarding which the Member has a conflict of interest.
- 5.10.9 All decisions of the Speaker may be reversed by a 2/3rds majority vote of the Board, except regarding the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society from which there is no appeal.
Current and Past Speakers
| Year | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| 2012-2013 | Mauricio Curbelo | Civ 1T3+PEY |
| 2011-2012 | Rishi Maharaj | NΨ 1T2+PEY |
| 2010-2011 | Zoriana Workun | Civ 1T2 |
| 2009-2010 | Alvin Ho | Elec 0T9+PEY |
| 2008-2009 | Billy Wong | Civ 1T0+PEY |
| 2007-2008 | David Clease | Mech 1T0+PEY |
| 2006-2007 | Ryan Campbell | NΨ 0T7+∞ |
| 2005-2006 | Adam Gravitis | NΨ 0T6 |
| 2004-2005 | Henry Cheung | NΨ 0T7+PEY |
| 2003-2004 | Craig Burkett | NΨ 0T5 |
| 2002-2003 | Neil Padgett | ??? |